Beneath the Bodhi & Banyan

18 SGD

by Chu Hao Pei and Lee Chang Ming

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Tree shrines
have mushroomed around Singapore over the years from the jungle to industrial
areas and sometimes even in the city centre or in the heart of residential
areas. Trees have, eventually, become a refuge for abandoned deities figurines
either recovered from the sea or left behind by individuals. The tree shrines
scattered throughout Singapore offer an interesting insight to the everyday
religious and cultural practices of our colourful heritage. The placement and
type of shrines (e.g. Buddhist, Hindu etc.) are unique to Singapore and is a
reflection of our multicultural society.

Even though the tree shrines may often
be ignored by the general public, they link back to more vernacular forms of our heritage and link to our cultural roots as Singaporeans. More than just
religious objects, the continued presence (and disappearance) of tree shrines
in our modern city-state reveal an aspect of our diverse communities (and the
conflict with the state over their existence).

This
project raises questions surrounding these tree shrines: How did these tree
shrines come about? Who removes these tree shrines? And why are they removed?